Abstract: In a world of rapid economic development, the fields of economic cooperation between countries are expanding. Commodity and trade exchanges have become more frequent. In order to obtain a seat in the international market, many manufacturers come to realize the importance of brand name translation. A popular brand name is not only a title, but also the conveyance of the corporate culture, and it is a must for the product promotion. On one hand, brand name translation contains the commercial factors and cultural factors. If a company wants to enter a foreign market, it needs to overcome cultural barriers, and things like language differences, views of consumption, religious differences. On the other hand, the translation of brand names is also a special communication. Consumers get to know a product by its translated brand names. Therefore, the translator cannot regard brand name translation as merely a kind of commercial activity but seizes the nature of the source language to build a cultural value of the target language. The thesis discusses the connection between Memetics and brand name translation and points out the brand name itself is a Meme. What’s more, it supposes that the process of a successful brand name translation is also a process in building up a strong brand name Meme. To build up a strong brand name Meme depends on a strong phenotype of Meme and a strong genotype of Meme. Finally, the thesis discusses the following strategy of brand name translation from the perspective of Memetics: firstly, grasping the differences of cultures and try to think of the cultural values of the target language and consumers’ psychology, so as to realize the source language brand name Meme introduced, accepted and transmitted by the new host, namely the foreign customers. Secondly, combining the Genotype of Meme and adopting literal translation, literal translation is to keep the original content and form in translation but it must be under the permissive conditions of the translation language. Using the literal translation to translate a brand name, we can vividly express the effectiveness of the product. However, we must elaborately choose words and language and then accurately reflect the product qualities. These are beneficial to be remembered by customers. Thirdly, considering phenotype of Meme and adopting free translation and transliteration, free translation is a way that using the expressions in accordance with the target language to make transfer, in order to translate the source language accurately in the process of translation, and it has to disturb the language forms of the source language and transliteration means that the pronunciation of well-translated brand name will correspond to that of the original language.

Key Words: Memetics；Brand Name Translation；Strong Meme; Genotype of Meme；Phenotype of Meme

摘  要：随着世界经济快速发展，各国之间的经济合作领域不断扩大，商品贸易交换变得日益频繁。为了在国际市场上取得一席之位，许多生产商开始意识到商标翻译的重要性。因为好的商标名不仅是商标的标志，还有着传达企业文化、宣传商品的作用。商标翻译不仅是一种文化载体也是一种特殊的交流方式。因为一方面商标翻译不仅包含商业因素还涉及到文化因素。如果公司想要进入国外市场，就必须克服各种文化障碍。例如语言上的差异，不同的消费观，宗教的差异等等。另一方面，商标翻译也是一种特殊的交流方式。通过翻译好的商标，消费者可以了解该商品。因此，翻译者不能仅仅把商标翻译当作一种商业行为，更重要的是抓住源语的本质来打造目标语国家受众的文化价值观念。文章从模因论与商标翻译的关系入手，指出商标本身就是一种模因，分析了成功的商标翻译过程也是一种打造强势的商标名模因的过程。为打造强势的商标名模因，主要依附于强势基因型模因和强势表现型模因。最后，探讨了模因论指导下商标翻译的策略：把握文化差异，设法考虑目标语国家的文化价值观念和消费者心理，从而实现源语商标模因被新宿主即外国消费者所采用、接受并传播；结合基因型模因采取直译的策略，直译是在译文语言条件许可前提下，在译文中保持原文内容及原文形式。用直译法翻译的品牌名称，可以表达产品的效用。通过精心选字与用词，准确反映商品质量，利于消费者记忆；考虑表现型模因，选择意译和音译的策略，意译是为了在翻译过程中准确转化源语内容，而不得不打乱源语的语言形式、用符合目的语语言表达习惯进行转化的翻译方法，音译就是翻译好的商标在读法上与源语的发音相符合。
关键词：模因论；商标翻译；强势模因；基因型模因；表现型模因